The invention relates to a blank for producing a dental molded part such as an inlay, onlay, crown or bridge, and to a method for producing the blank. To be able to machine a dental molded part, in particular one having thin wall thicknesses, from the blank without difficulty, the blank is designed to consist of a glass ceramic having a density of between 30 and 60% of theoretical density, and of glass-ceramic powder particles with a particle size distribution d.sub.90≦80 μm, lithium silicate crystals being present in an amount of 10 to 90% by volume.

The invention relates to a method to produce a dental structure with a cavity having a negative form of the structure, which is formed in an investment material, wherein flowable lithium silicate glass ceramic is pressed into the cavity. Thereby a compressive surface stress is created in the ceramic structure through the replacement of lithium ions by alkali ions, in that the model is enriched with alkali compounds and/or the model is covered with a layer of a material containing alkali ions.

The invention relates to a method to produce a dental structure with a cavity having a negative form of the structure, which is formed in an investment material, wherein flowable lithium silicate glass ceramic is pressed into the cavity. Thereby a compressive surface stress is created in the ceramic structure through the replacement of lithium ions by alkali ions, in that the model is enriched with alkali compounds and/or the model is covered with a layer of a material containing alkali ions.

The invention is related to a shaded porcelain system that contains two types of veneering porcelains: natural enamel/dentin body and opal enamel, as well as stain & glaze porcelain, with CTE that are compatible to and which can be used for veneering a dental prosthesis made of 1) lithium disilicate-based glass-ceramic substructure that is formed by hot pressing or CAD/CAM machined process or 2) YTZP zirconia-based ceramic substructure that is formed by CAD/CAM machined process in order to improve overall esthetics of final prosthesis.

The invention is related to a shaded porcelain system that contains two types of veneering porcelains: natural enamel/dentin body and opal enamel, as well as stain & glaze porcelain, with CTE that are compatible to and which can be used for veneering a dental prosthesis made of 1) lithium disilicate-based glass-ceramic substructure that is formed by hot pressing or CAD/CAM machined process or 2) YTZP zirconia-based ceramic substructure that is formed by CAD/CAM machined process in order to improve overall esthetics of final prosthesis.

The invention refers to a method for producing a dental restoration comprising a lithium silicate glass or glass ceramic as well as a dental restoration inself. The invention further refers to a ingot with the same composition having a defined strength.

The present invention relates to a kit of parts comprising a dental mill blank comprising a porous zirconia material and a colouring solution for colouring the porous zirconia material. The porous zirconia material comprises Zr oxide calculated as ZrO2: from 80 to 97 wt.-%, Al oxide calculated as Al2O3: from 0 to 0.15 wt.-%, Y oxide calculated as Y2O3: from 1 to 10 wt.-%, Bi oxide calculated as Bi2O3: from 0.01 to 0.2 wt.-%, the porous zirconia material not comprising Fe calculated as Fe2O3 in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, wt.-% with respect to the weight of the porous zirconia material. The colouring solution comprises solvent(s), colouring agent(s) comprising metal ions selected from Tb, Er, Pr, Mn or combinations thereof, the solution not comprising Fe ions in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, the solution not comprising Bi ions in an amount of more than 0.01 wt.-%, wt.-% with respect to the weight of the colouring solution. The invention also relates to a process of producing a dental restoration, the process comprising the steps: providing a dental mill blank comprising a porous zirconia material as described in any of the preceding claims, machining an article out of the porous zirconia material, the article having the shape of a dental restoration with an outer and inner surface, providing a colouring solution as described in any of the preceding claims, applying the colouring solution to at least portions of the surface of the article having the shape of a dental restoration.

A dental curable composition which comprises a radically polymerizable monomer component (A), a polymerizing catalyst (B) and an inorganic granular material (C), characterized in that: the radically polymerizable monomer component (A) contains a bifunctional monomer (A-1) represented by the following formula (α),
R.sub.P—SP.sup.1—R.sub.P  (α) where, R.sub.P is a radically polymerizable group represented by CH.sub.2═C(R)—COO— or CH.sub.2═C(R)—CONH—, wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and SP.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon group having 5 to 15 carbon atoms, and the content of the bifunctional monomer (A-1) in the radically polymerizable monomer component (A) is 5 to 40% by mass under a condition that the content of a diluting monomer (A-2) represented by the following formula (β),
R.sub.P—SP.sup.2—R.sub.P  (β) where, R.sub.P is as defined in the above formula (α), and SP.sup.2 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group different from SP.sup.1, an oxygen-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon group having not less than 2 oxygen atoms, or an oxygen-containing aromatic hydrocarbon group having not less than 3 oxygen atoms,
is zero or not more than 10% by mass.

A dental curable composition which comprises a radically polymerizable monomer component (A), a polymerizing catalyst (B) and an inorganic granular material (C), characterized in that: the radically polymerizable monomer component (A) contains a bifunctional monomer (A-1) represented by the following formula (α),
R.sub.P—SP.sup.1—R.sub.P  (α) where, R.sub.P is a radically polymerizable group represented by CH.sub.2═C(R)—COO— or CH.sub.2═C(R)—CONH—, wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and SP.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon group having 5 to 15 carbon atoms, and the content of the bifunctional monomer (A-1) in the radically polymerizable monomer component (A) is 5 to 40% by mass under a condition that the content of a diluting monomer (A-2) represented by the following formula (β),
R.sub.P—SP.sup.2—R.sub.P  (β) where, R.sub.P is as defined in the above formula (α), and SP.sup.2 is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group different from SP.sup.1, an oxygen-containing aliphatic hydrocarbon group having not less than 2 oxygen atoms, or an oxygen-containing aromatic hydrocarbon group having not less than 3 oxygen atoms,
is zero or not more than 10% by mass.

Lithium disilicate apatite glass-ceramics are described which are characterized by a high chemical stability and can therefore be used in particular as restoration material in dentistry.